Doctor Fernando Guerrero Santos - Guadalajara Mexico

I am having a face lift and asian eyelid surgery...

21 Jun 2012

5 days pre

i am having a face lift and asian eyelid surgery in 6 days in guadalajara mexico.
i am petrified,but i have done a lot of research and some of the finest plastic surgeons in the worls are in guadalajara
so here i go
i am 52 years old and i want to look the best that i can look at my age and be competitive in the work force.
i am half asian and my eyes are very unique
it is going to take a very skilled surgeon to rejuvinate them without changing them...
fernando guerrero santos is the son of jose guerrero santos,a world famous plastic surgeon.
i will post after photos whe i come back

Okay
i flew in to guadalajara at 4:30 am
after...

26 Jun 2012

1 day pre

okay
i flew in to guadalajara at 4:30 am
after collecting my bags and making it through customs i was greeted outside by a charming sweet man named jose who was to be my guardian angel,tour guide.he quickly took my luggage and after a short tour of the city in the dark to me to my place of residence for the next ten days....it is completely amazing...a bed and breakfast where you have your very own incredible studio apartment with marbled shower ,internet,cable,phone and a beautiful tropical garden.....AND an incredible caregiver who lives in the main house who cooks 3 unbelievable meals a day for you.....i mean food that was so good,better than any restaraunt i had ever been to.and unbelievably for 50 dollars a night,included everything.
i got here at 6am,took a hot shower and fell to sleep for a few hours as jose was coming back at 12 to take me shopping and money exchange etc....i was completely taken care of,then at 6pm,i had my consult with doctor fernando guerrero santos.the most amazing plastic surgeon i have ever met,so knowledgeable,so honest and kind and absolutely hilarious.
my surgery is scheduled for the morning at 10 am...
so jose takes me to the pharmacia to get my antibiotics,and all other meds and all of this after patiently waiting for me for 2 hours
and he takes me back to wonderful emmas,who of course is cooking another incredible dinner.she brings it to my room with fresh bread braised pork,fresh sauteed vegetables and an amazing creme of poblamo pepper soup i had never tasted before,and a tall glass of fresh squeezed orange juice.i mean,where in the world does this type of wonderful care and beautiful accomodations really exist?well right here in beautiful guadalajara,the city of roses whe i feel like a princess lol.so now im taking a shower and watching a movie and when i wake up,emma will be here and jose will be taking me in for my surgery...BTW....here is emmas email adress in case you want to spend a few days in paradise yourself. e*****@yahoo.com.mx;
when i get out of the hospital i will continue my reviews and ratings complete with pictures

Okay...today is the 28th of june and i had my...

28 Jun 2012

1 day post

okay...today is the 28th of june and i had my surgery yesterday ...everything went fine and i was transferred to a room in a very nice hospital...BUT,i was hooked up to so many bells and whistles,and of course im in mexico,english is not the native tongue nor should it be,but i tried to converse with a dozen or so nurses in and out who couldnt understand me nor could i understand them,on top of having major surgery that made me look like a monster and i kid you not,your face is guaranteed to swell to twice the original size,and you have to try to sleep sitting up.... which is monumental in itself,encased like a mummy,so even the sound on the tv is 100 percent just to hear it..so yes,this is only day 2 and it so far has been pretty dang uncomfortable...so yes,i stayed up all night trying to watch movies and made it through.so finally it is today,dr guerrerosantos comes in and cleans me up and re bandages me
tells me everything is going well and lets me go back to my home in guadalajara..sweet emma is here and we chat for a few minutes,she arranges the room so it will be facelift friendly and goes into the main house to merrily whip up something absolutely fantastic....it is 2:30 pm,tomorrow is the 3rd day after the FL and apparently the worst for swelling...geez,it seems if my head got any bigger i would be the next halloween pumpkin...i will fill you in as the days progress...you ready for the pics...didnt take any yesterday cuz i was in the hospital but today i did and will just to let you know what day to day looks like
i am also waiting for results to give it the 5 stars although i just love this guy,he is a real ,talented funny person.....

So my wonderful hostess emma,comes in with another...

29 Jun 2012

2 days post

so my wonderful hostess emma,comes in with another fantastic meal for lunch
fresh fruit with plenty of pineapple for healing
and an incredible bowl of homemade chicken vegetable soup with a big bowl of cous cous on the side.
and a big glass of fresh juice,mango and papaya i think
i ate every bite......
so i sleep for maybe 4 or 5 hours and there is emma again with
this incredible chicken salad with every mouth watering vegetable you can think of...
if you stay in guadalajara,you would be so happy here.
so today is 6/29/2012
the 3rd day after 7am and emma has made me a pot of coffee and breakfast....
will update later

So tomorrow morning,jose is coming to pick me up...

29 Jun 2012

2 days post

so tomorrow morning,jose is coming to pick me up for my second post op with dr fernando,im hoping i can get the stitches out of my eyes and forehead.......ahhhhhh ..take a shower,maybe wash my hair.then i can put on some bondo and maybe go to wal mart ,i mean.i still look scary,but it will only be day 4...i felt good right out of the gate...some super big sunglasses and .....whooo hooooo
ill post more pics tomorrow

It is 7am,day 4 6/30/2012 and i woke up,my eyes...

30 Jun 2012

3 days post

it is 7am,day 4 6/30/2012 and i woke up,my eyes are swollen shut and my lips are twice as big as they should be,going to go see doc this morning though in an hour and a half...wondering if he is going to take the stitches out of my eyes and worrying about the swelling.....is this normal?im supposed to be flying back to the states on the 5th,but am thinking of staying a few more days at least untill i am pretty sure everything will be allright.
i can see blood under the skin in my lips but that will resolve with time....pictures when i return
i will let you know what doc says when i come back and any feedback will be appreciated

Okay,so it is 10:54 am and i just got back from...

30 Jun 2012

3 days post

okay,so it is 10:54 am and i just got back from the appointment with dr fernando....he took the stitches out of my upper and lower eyelids and cleaned the suture areas for the facelift.
i have got this dreadlock thing going on with my hair,but cannot wash it untill monday,not because it would be detrimental to my remaining sutures but because i cannot rebandage myself up properly afterwards....i still need chin support and support on the sides of my ears....i mean i could do it myself,but do not have medical tape,someone to hold the 3 areas while i redo it etc....right here right now.anyways.....this monday i get the cat litter stitches in the front of my forehead taken off and am pretty sure i will feel much better every day.but in a perfect world,someone would materialize with all of the gauze and bandages and say to me,here colleen,heres some baby shampoo.ill wrap you back up after your long luxurious shower.....hey,you never know....the day is still young,and we will see....but now for your viewing pleasure,here are pics of day 4..............................

So today is day number 5 after my facelift.i slept...

1 Jul 2012

4 days post

so today is day number 5 after my facelift.i slept really well,feel really good,got up and had breakfast and coffee with my wonderful caregiver emma.it is kind of amazing that i feel so good....my face is still very very swollen though ,but i did manage to wash the back part of my dreadlocks without getting my head dressing wet.doc wants me to keep the dressing on 24/7 to insure proper adhesion and to keep the swelling down...i am going to post some day 5 pics in just a few minutes....

My lower face is still really swollen and...

1 Jul 2012

4 days post

my lower face is still really swollen and distorted but is getting better every day...tomorrow i get the terrorist turban taken off and the other 4 sutures i think where he did some muscle work on my frown lines

I sure hope that my eyelids settle down a...

1 Jul 2012

4 days post

i sure hope that my eyelids settle down a bit,perhaps it is the swelling,i do NOT want to lose the asian look i had.
i may choose to stay a few more days to make sure everything is going to be non problematic,better to be safe than sorry.
emma say that i can get a pass from the doctor so that it does not cost me more to change my flight.....
see you tomorrow folks

Okay
so today is day 6 7/02/2012
after my...

2 Jul 2012

5 days post

okay
so today is day 6 7/02/2012
after my surgery
woke up feeling pretty good
face still swollen but looking a little more normal
and i can see much better,eyes are getting less swollen
of course i still call everyone i know to reassure me that
i will still be recognizable after the swelling goes down
and even though im not liking the way my eyes look in conjunction
with my bowling ball face right now
(kind of like an asian pig)with pink lipstick
i know that with time,my cheekbones will be discernible once again from the rest of my face
and SOOOOOOO excited to be able to put makeup on
and i mean false eyelashes and everything without them sticking to the top of my eyelids
so of course,emma comes in with an incredibly healthy breakfast of an omelette ,fruit and whole grain toast...
who says you lose weight with a facelift.....
i have no problems at all figuring out how to make any kind of foods,fruits or vegetable fit into that 1 inch of space
that gives open access to your mouth and tummy after a facelift....lmao
i am going to wait till after my appointment with doctor G. today to take pictures....
i so want that forehead stitch to fall off.
anyways,enough chatter for now....will post pics later

Okay
so just got back from dr Gs office
he...

2 Jul 2012

5 days post

okay
so just got back from dr Gs office
he took a few stitches out
more to go on wednesday
i asked him about the eye thing and he attributed it to swelling
i can unly hope that is the case.
i go back on wednesday
i do not like to post pictures of me that look ghastly
but i do want to be as real and honest about the entire process as i have had a few to be with me
plastic surgery is not for the faint of heart its true
but to be honest with you,had it not been for the ladies out there that had the balls enough to document their experiences
i would not be sitting here right now

I am also going to post before and after pics of...

3 Jul 2012

6 days post

i am also going to post before and after pics of my eyes
as they heal
the first is before and the second is on the 6th day

Okay
so i was supposed to get out and do some...

3 Jul 2012

6 days post

okay
so i was supposed to get out and do some shopping with jose the driver,but as i was posting my last 2 photos,i noticed that the incision is opening up a little on the right eye.
so i went inside the house to ask emma if she had a steri strip or something or if she could call the doctor as to what i should do
emma tells me to go upstairs to ask the girls upstairs what to do
they tell me not to do anything,go sit down and keep my bandages on
that i am aggravating the situation
i know they mean well so i smile
and thank them and go give emma some money to help buy me some snacks at the farmers market.
i am starting to feel uncomfortable and put on the spot now,like not everyone is out for my best interest....
so i email the doctor anyways and send him a picture because i know HE is out for my best interest....
I do not understand why people would want to undermine anyone for any reason at all.
Anyways,i am waiting for a response
this is not a good situation to be in right now

So anyways
i call beverly
who is my patient...

3 Jul 2012

6 days post

so anyways
i call beverly
who is my patient care advocate
and she has made sure that the steri strip that i need is going to be bought
and has contacted the doctor

As soon as doctor guerrero santos was out of...

3 Jul 2012

6 days post

as soon as doctor guerrero santos was out of surgery he immediately had me come in to examine the eye
everything had healed up
and he spent an hour with me
removed some stitches and just making sure i was okay

He explained the procedures he had performed in...

3 Jul 2012

6 days post

he explained the procedures he had performed in great detail.
he had spent 5 hours in the operating room on me,on just my face
he also had done a new procedure on my glabellar muscles between
my eyebrows and placed a skin graft from my orbital socket behind it and
secured that with the 4 sutures that you can see on my first initial pictures....
serious orbital trauma and unbelievable techniques
the whole eye ,forehead area is really quite sore still
see you in the morning.

Okay so today is 7/4/2012
technically the 7th...

4 Jul 2012

7 days post

okay so today is 7/4/2012
technically the 7th day AFTER my surgery
i have been counting the day of my surgery as the first
i woke up with a face of many colors,but mostly some big black and blue areas
that are tapering to a purplish was,with a yellow background
it must mean i am healing
i am feeling pretty good
i dont think you feel bad necessarily with a facelift
it is mostly emotional turmoil on a day to day basis
because the person you see in the mirror the first couple of weeks is NOT
going to be the person you will see once the swelling goes down.....
it is a very very scary procedure ,not the operation itself,but the slow metamorphosis of healing
everyone,and i dont care who you are,is going to be in a state of panic
calling everyone they know
all day every day,untill ALL of the swelling goes down and the heal is almost complete..
i asked the new man in my life last night
are you still going to love me if i look funny?
of course he tells me,i love whats inside of you colleen....lmao
2 donuts and some fried chicken with a cup of coffee.....
but ,today for some reason,although i still have a lot of swelling
im looking better and better.....
am i worrying,of course i am....
its a process
it takes time.......all wounds heal with time...
i had more problems 2 weeks ago throwing my hip out at zumba
than i did going through 5 hours of major trauma to my
face......its all in the expertise of the doctor
if anyone wants to get ahold of me
i would be happy to help anyone through this process
my email is c****@comcast.net
i hope my new man wont find me on here
but if he does,like he says,he loves me for my
fried chicken and donuts
and ME?
i used to always think it was only my heart,humor and wit that made me ME.....
but the beautiful face im going to have,,,,,is the worm on the hook......
will post pics soon
if anyone wants dr fernandos email....just email me
and i will send it to you
colleen.

And emma still
whether i like it or not
heaps...

4 Jul 2012

7 days post

and emma still
whether i like it or not
heaps healthy foods on me
after i went to see doctor fernando last night
i had jose take me to walmart for a junk food run
mwaaahhaaaaaahhhaaaaaaaa
so i come in real sneaky like,theres is wonderful emma
she is fixing dinner she tells me,and she looks at my bags of
junk food....and i smile and i tell her i am not really hungry right now
she hands me a fork and knife and smiles
and when i get back into my apartment she has this huge bowl of every kind of fruit
cut up into all this different designs,like one of those tv commercials
and a plate of homemade,sugar free,cranberry oatmeal cookies....
she is wonderful

I wanted to post a pic of emma ,my wonderful...

4 Jul 2012

7 days post

i wanted to post a pic of emma ,my wonderful guardian angel
and jose ,my bilingual driver along with twinkie the dog
just so you could get a picture of who i am talking about

So now im sitting around feeling my face and i...

5 Jul 2012

8 days post

so now im sitting around feeling my face and i notice i have this big lump
on the right side of my face on my jawline
like something you would feel with a severely abscessed tooth
kinda really freaking me out
so once again i email the doctor to ask him if i should be concerned
have a ticket on layaway just in case
and waiting on an answer

Okay
today is 7/5/2002
i just got back to the...

5 Jul 2012

8 days post

okay
today is 7/5/2002
i just got back to the place i store my cats and my stuff
emma gently woke me up at 4:15am
colleen,the taxi is here...
there was emma and luis
had taken care of everything,they grabbed
my bags and gave me a hug and poof
im on a flight back to where i started from
im heartbroken already....
noone seemed to notice on the plane that i was very strange looking
that my face was kind of a greenish yellow with a splatter of black and blue
i couldnt wear sunglasses,it was dark outside still...
but with regular glasses on you could not make out that the purple yellow was not part of the lenses ...
today,i have a wierd swelling in the middle of the forehead where the fat graft was placed
i hope it goes away soon...im going to email doc and see what he says....he is a good guy...emailed me twice to tell me how to be careful ,make sure i do this and that...i mean who does that?my mom didnt even do that...but now i am going to ask him about the swelling on the right side...i mean anyone ever have that?
if i would have been there,i already would be sitting in his office,with him looking at me saying,its just swelling colleen....give it time....arent i supposed to look like J-LO already in 8 days????not.....anyways...thought i would touch base....now that im back.....to the place i store my kitties

A little more settled in now,been home a few...

5 Jul 2012

8 days post

a little more settled in now,been home a few hours
did my laundry made some dinner
feeling good to be back home now
i still have my wrap on most of the time
oh when is the swelling going to go down
my roommate was very surprised that i was not in worse shape
but i can tell im having some weird swelling here and there
mostly right between my eyebrows
where doctor g did the fat graft thing
kinda feeling a little like herman munster
with the color and everything
just 2 bolts on the side of my neck
naw not really....im tired
i know emma and luis are tired
they had to get ME up this morning
anyways.thats it ...hope everyone is recovering well

Well today is day number 9 after my face lift...

6 Jul 2012

9 days post

well today is day number 9 after my face lift upper and lower bleph
woke up this morning with my eyes not swollen shut for the first time
i actually look pretty good considering
but i kid you not it is major surgery and from what everyone tells me it changes day to day,

I am trying to be patient with the results post...

6 Jul 2012

9 days post

i am trying to be patient with the results post op
i am still not liking the way my eyes look right now but still have a lot of swelling from the fat graft between my brows
and the swelling all over
im NOT going to take pics tonight,going to wait and take them as i see improvement
am hoping when all the swelling goes down i will look more like myself and hope to god my lids drop a little

Okat
today is 7/8/2012
my friend carol is...

8 Jul 2012

11 days post

okat
today is 7/8/2012
my friend carol is coming into town to take my stitches out finally the day after tomorrow
i am still bruised beaten and swollen,and that freaking herman munster fat graft is making my face and eyes look soooooooooooooooooo distorted...i want to say i woke up looking better but i am not quite sure yet...eyes are still swollen and tight.
i think this process is like being pregnant and in labor with multiples for 3 months straight...
oh,im miserable,oh will it ever end....ill never look the same.ill never do it again.what have i gotten myself into?
and then after it is all over......will we forget all about the torture we put ourselves through to begin with....or will it all be worth it in the end?
im not sure.....im hoping so...
i want to thank everyone who is following my blog and who has given me encouragement on a daily basis.....perhaps when i reach the 2 week mark,i will have some respite,thats what everyone is telling me.
at least by then,no more stitches....but still have the scars from those 4 strange cat litter clumps that were on the middle of my forehead,still very very sore...i did notice however that the sensation on the left side of my neck has come back.that is a very good sign to me...
any sign of life after death is good
everybody heals at a different rate
apparently 2 weeks to a month healing is phenomenal....
we will see....catch up with you all later

Sorry i havent been posting
the minute i have...

9 Jul 2012

12 days post

sorry i havent been posting
the minute i have gotten back from guadalajara
as much as i have been wanting to keep
under wraps,my friends have not let me,and have been
around me around the clock to make sure i am okay
whether i like it or not
tomorrow,i will be alone
and i can document my recovery
shhhhh,they are still here
see you tomorrow

GOOD MORNING ALL
i normally would never take...

10 Jul 2012

13 days post

GOOD MORNING ALL
i normally would never take pictures first thing in the morning because
that is when we look our worse and most swollen
but it is THE first time i have been alone since i got back from guatalajara
today is the 13th day after serious surgery with fernando guerrero santos
although my face is still all swollen up and bizarre looking and i still have that wierd swelling where the fat graft is between my brows,looking at my face this morning,there may be light at the end of the tunnel.i must have emailed DR F 20 times in the past 4 days and he emailed me back everytime...
i told him
i want that fat graft OUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
my eyes are so swollen,he told me,give it 2 weeks colleen,you will be happy....i got that email yesterday...it has been one dinner and an overnight and already i look better...my cheeks are still swollen,but my skin looks better,my cheeks have color for the first time since and well,ill write tonight when i look better and post pics from right now

Okay
today is exactly 2 weeks after my upper and...

11 Jul 2012

14 days post

okay
today is exactly 2 weeks after my upper and lower bleph fat graft between my brows and
face and neck lift
although the swelling has gone down quite a bit and the bruising is almost gone,i am still left with
swelling and an odd look about me...
especially where he worked on my corrugator muscle between my eyebrows
i can see the graft between my eyebrows and the top of my eyes and between my frown lines now is a dent
right in between my brows,like a vertical dent about an inch long..almost like the graft has split and fallen...will it ever go away?.
i mean,when is all this going to be over?
i am going to have to be looking for a job soon and do not want to be self conscious about all of this on my face..
does anyone have any advice?
i think that when and if the swelling between my eyes and the dent between my brows does go away
and the rest of the swelling goes down
i see a lot of positives.....but what about all of this?
i wrote my friend beverly and will see what she says
tonight,i am taking pictures because this is a significant day ...2 weeks...

Gawdddd
i have been busy all day long and still...

11 Jul 2012

14 days post

gawdddd
i have been busy all day long and still have had company
other than having a very conspicuous dent in the middle of my forehead where my doctor
removed the glabellar muscle and attempted to add a fat graft that for some reason did not adhere
to the proper area(see photos)and is now kind of drifting downwards towards the eye area...
i am looking pretty good.
so i emailed doctor guerrero santos,he emailed me back and said to wait a little while(2 weeks)and it should go away...
i did not get a brow lift when i had gone to him originally and that is what he placed the fat graft through my orbital socket...
i told him though that i would like for him to see what he could do..
i wanted to take some pictures with some makeup on,but am going to have to wait untill i am able to...it is late and i just wanted to put up the 2 week pics

Okay
today is 7/16/2012
it is 19 days after my...

16 Jul 2012

19 days post

okay
today is 7/16/2012
it is 19 days after my face,neck lift,upper and lower bleph,glabellar removal and fat grafts
my face is still swollen.in different areas,but is looking more normal ..my eyes are still swelling especially when i first wake up in the morning
but that will subside....i have to remember how traumatic a surgery ,my face has been through and it takes at least a month to look
close to normal.i have been getting out and about and although swollen in the eye area and a little watering in the right eye,feel almost normal enough to go out in public
there is ONE problem though.....where doctor fernando removed or tweaked my glabella muscle in the middle of my forehead there is an actual very visible dent there now,very strange.and when i asked him about it he told me to wait untill the swelling goes down around 7/28/2012...that will be exactly 1 month post op.the fat graft he had placed that you can see in the first 5 sets of photos apparently are not taking or have slipped or are swollen or whatever,but there is a divot now....
other than that very strange and very embarrassing hole in the head.i am starting to look very good i think....i also have a swelling in my right arm where when i was in the hospital,the iv kept backing up and finally came out and i have a collapsed vein and it is getting redder and more painful.i will post pics tonight after i get back from work and maybe to kaiser to see about the right arm thing..

Today is 7/17/2012
i wake up looking odd
face...

17 Jul 2012

20 days post

today is 7/17/2012
i wake up looking odd
face still swollen and numb
dent in the middle of my forehead
today is yet another what have i done day.
it seems to me that doing what i have done has put a giant cog in the wheel of life
it is summertime,it is beautiful out,im in love again
but i am embarrased by my appearance and it is really putting a damper on my juju
im afraid im going to lose the man i love,i have not known him long and for the most part of our relationship
it has been 1 month before(normal colleen)and now,almost 3 weeks after...swollen,bruised,funny looking
dented colleen...
knowing that i will not even be near normal for months
should i let him go??it would be the unselfish thing to do..he deserves so much better...
do i want to let him go???of course not...realistically ,he is the best thing that has ever happened to me...
a very unplanned romance in the middle of a planned facelift.
okay,so if he goes will i be disappointed,yes and no.
life is full of disillusionment and disappointments
and he does NOT deserve to have to be with the injured me,waiting and waiting for the old me to come back..
who would want that for a person they really care for.
this journey is fraught with second guesses
and i know that there are a lot of people who are going to go through this too and my blog will make this journey
a little more understandable by reading about my constant confusion.
work is a bitch too.
the whole deal about me getting this procedure done was to be more competitive in the work force.
but at this point in time,im hiding behind ,swollen eyes and sunglasses and couldnt apply for the job i wanted anyways..
i am an impatient person and i want results yesterday....it isnt going to happen....it is painful long and changes day to day....talk at you later
colleen

Okay
today is exactly 3 weeks after surgery
i...

18 Jul 2012

21 days post

okay
today is exactly 3 weeks after surgery
i have a ton of makeup on so it is not going to be easy to see the real results
that way but oh well.i still have swelling,divot in the head and pea sized floaters around my eyes
in my lid are and forehead,but for the most part i feel pretty good.
the dent in the head is still there but obsessing over it is not going to make it go away
nor will my doctor attempt to repair untill i have more time healed.
the flash on the camera is bright so it does fill the dent in and it becomes hard to see
but is there...
now remember,i have enough makeup on to choke a pony so you may be thinking awwww.she looks good,but underneath it all i still have 2 black eyes and lumps and bumps and travelling fat grafts.
i have some kind of bump under and above my right eye,makes it look kinda wonky and they water for no reason.looks strange if i dont put makeup on a certain way.i really liked my lids they way they were but i am hoping they relax a little and go back that way again....without makeup,remember,i am still scary k?

Good morning
today is 7/22/2012
24 days after...

22 Jul 2012

25 days post

good morning
today is 7/22/2012
24 days after.i spent the last 2 nights at a friends house and did NOT take my makeup off and my eyes are so swollen up today
feeling pretty good but still have that very evident dent in my forehead.
i am not sure i have the patience enough to wait untill the 28th to see if the swelling goes down or whatever.
and how do i get it to dissolve quicker if im not supposed to touch it?
i am writing doc on the 24th to talk about things,then im going back as soon as my friend recovers from his surgery.
i promised him i would.
he has his surgery on the 30th
i am going to set up a spare room in his house for me and stay with him a week or so.
other than that ,not much to say....just dont want everyone to think i have up and died or anything....and also,as strange as i am still looking 3 weeks after major surgery...when i was at the staore yesterday ,some handsome,i dont know early forties guy was watching me,was parked next to me and started talking to me,asked me out to dinner and gave me his phone number....lol
guess he didnt notice the dent and i must be looking better
xo

Okay
in 3 more days it will be a month since my...

24 Jul 2012

27 days post

okay
in 3 more days it will be a month since my facelift in mexico
i think except for the fat graft
i emailed him this morning and he told me that it was not just a fat graft,but a fatdermis graft
a very intricate procedure....he put a lot of time and work into it,but still i have the dent
i wrote him back and he will answer tomorrow...
the rest of my face however,is looking better and better every day
my face is still swollen,i still have 2 black eyes and if not for that horrible dent
i would be in hog heaven
my honey is a carpenter and loves to work on cars and he always
offers to fix my dent with a little bondo and sandpaper
i am going back to guadalajara to have doctor guerrerosantos fix the dent
anyone wanting to join me is welcome to....
email me c*****@comcast.net
or call me 619-***-****
i am posting pics from this morning
and in 3 days will post the one month pics

Im so depressed about this fat graft,i dont want...

25 Jul 2012

28 days post

im so depressed about this fat graft,i dont want to see anyone anymore...im letting go of everyone in my life...im letting go of my lover..i am never going to see him again
he doesnt deserve to be with a freak

Okay

28 Jul 2012

1 month post

okay

Okay
today is 1 month post surgery
how am i...

28 Jul 2012

1 month post

okay
today is 1 month post surgery
how am i feeling?still swollen and bruised
still have black and blue under my eyes
still have the travelling fat grafts under my eyes,specifically,my right eye...
also the fat grafts above the inner corners of both my eyes is still lumpy and extends above my brows forming the ridge
what can i do....doc says he would rather not touch it right now,will cause scarring etcetera.he wrote me a letter yesterday,saying he could take them out through my orbital socket by reopening the incision in my eye....crazy....it has been only 30 days...he doesnt want to do that...if it still causes me problems and doesnt go down he will do that or maybe endoscopically through the forehead...i dont know
i dont think anyone ever really knows what they are in for as far as what an emotional ,tumultuous,physically and emotionally challenging and LONGGGGGGGGGGGGG ride you are in for....
here are a few 1 month pics

Today is 8/02/2012
i have recieved a lot of...

2 Aug 2012

2 months post

today is 8/02/2012
i have recieved a lot of emails where everyone is wondering how i am doing
i am okay thanks to a dear friend who has kept me busy enough to not obsess on my journey as much
i mean,of course i am still obsessing but only half of the time now.
i recieved an email from my doctor today saying that he can do the surgery on the 17th of this month
he is saying that he will need to reopen the initial incisions
and he is not sure he can completely remove them
so what is going to happen now?
what should i do?
i cannot live like this and yet i am afraid of what could happen now
i am frozen by this bizarre dent right in the middle of what used to be my frown lines
the rest of my face looks swollen
my cheekbones look amazing
i want a life,i want to be in love,i want to work
i am scared and i need advice
so now it starts all over again
i just hope this can be fixed and does not make things worse
i still love my doc
he is a good guy
he never meant any harm at all
this is an unfortunate event
that unfortunately is turning into a catastrophe

Okay
today is 8/7/2012
it has been 1 month and...

7 Aug 2012

2 months post

okay
today is 8/7/2012
it has been 1 month and 10 days after my surgery in guadalajara
i still have lots of swelling and 2 black eyes
where i had puffiness under my eyes,i now have wrinkles when i laugh
the dent in my forehead is 2 and a half inches long
(i think that is what my boyfriend said)
he measured it with calipers lol and a half an inch wide
i was scheduled to see a plastic surgeon here in nor cal but got cancelled today
so i am pretty much stuck in pergatory now,cant go anywhere and dont want to stay home
i thought by now i would be travelling a little and then looking for work,but now i am stuck.i have to hold on to what money i have
because i do not know how much revisions are going to cost me...just the forehead fat grafts thing,i can live with everything else..
so now doctor guerrerosantos is telling me it is going to cost me 2000 for the revisional surgery and that he is not sure he can take the fat grafts out on top of travel expenses and food and lodging....so will cost an extra grand on top of that AND will need to recover AND unemployment does not pay me enough to cover my rent and expenses,so basically i feel totally lost and all alone..
i feel like a burden and i dont want to be around anybody anymore,if i cannot find someone here to fix it that i can afford,then i will be forced to go back to dr G and just hope for the best...it is what i can afford now...IF and WHEN i come back,i will post our communications if things do not turn out favorably...i dont know what to say today or what to do....i want to run away,but cant....i will take pics on the 15th and let you know what the doctor that i am going to see on the 10th says
xoxo
colleen

Today is 8/13/2012
i am still trying to tell...

13 Aug 2012

2 months post

today is 8/13/2012
i am still trying to tell myself that not enough time has passed
that i am still healing,that the wonky eyes and chipmunk cheeks
and divot between my eyes and hollow black marks underneath them are just part of the healing process
i am hoping and praying that that is the case...i miss my sleepy asian eyelids that were not supposed to be altered,maybe it is still swelling,i am hoping it is so....i think anyone who goes through this feels this way for the first few months no matter what or so i have heard.i still think doctor guerrerosantos is a nice guy,that he is a good surgeon.that he does do good work but everyones outcomes are different...i have had an appointment with a local plastic surgeon here to help with the divot meanwhile between my brows,everything else i can live with for now but that i cannot,and i cannot afford to fly back to guadalajara ,even though emma wrote me and said i could stay with her while i was there ...for free.....she really is one of the sweetest kindest most wonderful human beings i have ever met
anyways,so i go see this sweet man
doctor david morwood....
he is sweet and intelligent and funny and kind
he does a test run on my face and puts a little saline in the divot and viloa,it fills in to where it is almost un noticeable...
so he is going to treat the area with juvaderm and some botox and hopefully it will be bearable untill the dermal fat grafts settle down some.
totmorrow the botox,then after dr norwood consults with dr g,the juvaderm....
i hope i look a little better.im tired ,i cant type anymore,and i dont feel like taking pics,so i will take the tomorrow
good night all
colleen

Okay today is August 23rd I just got back for my...

24 Aug 2012

2 months post

Okay today is August 23rd I just got back for my second consultation from yet another plastic surgeon his name is doctor Douglas Sunday s you and D E he is a wonderful plastic surgeon and he examined my face and said he had never seen anyone do dermal fat grafts in the area that my plastic surgeon did them I still have the big dent in between my eyes and on my forehead what can I do the doctor said he preferred not to use any filler because where I need it is risky and could potentially cause blindness so he would prefer that I wait 6 months I'm not happy I'm starting to really regret everything my eyes look different I am regretting everything I'm still holding out hope though did everything will get better with time like a friend of mine said I should have never mmessed with perfection but as this doctor said today hopefully things will get better what am I to do I am lucky that I have a man that has dude beside me through all of this even though I am not perfect anymore he has accepted me even if I cannot accept myself probably through this whole experience

Okay today is August 23rd I just got back for my...

24 Aug 2012

2 months post

Okay today is August 23rd I just got back for my second consultation from yet another plastic surgeon his name is doctor Douglas Sunday s you and D E he is a wonderful plastic surgeon and he examined my face and said he had never seen anyone do dermal fat grafts in the area that my plastic surgeon did them I still have the big dent in between my eyes and on my forehead what can I do the doctor said he preferred not to use any filler because where I need it is risky and could potentially cause blindness so he would prefer that I wait 6 months I'm not happy I'm starting to really regret everything my eyes look different I am regretting everything I'm still holding out hope though did everything will get better with time like a friend of mine said I should have never mmessed with perfection but as this doctor said today hopefully things will get better what am I to do I am lucky that I have a man that has dude beside me through all of this even though I am not perfect anymore he has accepted me even if I cannot accept myself probably through this whole experience

Anyways still trying to give it some time...will...

24 Aug 2012

2 months post

anyways still trying to give it some time...will post pics on the 27th...it will be my 2 month mark

Today is the 27th of august
i had my 5 and a...

27 Aug 2012

2 months post

today is the 27th of august
i had my 5 and a half hour long surgery in guadalajara exactly 2 months ago
what can i tell you
it has been a total roller coaster ride and im still not done yet
my neck is all swollen,and i am not sure if it will go away
that whole fat graft thing is just plain F@#$cked up
hopefully it will desolve or at 6 months someone else can try to remove it
im trying to be positive but am certaintly bummed but relieved it was not worse
is 2 months enough time to see the end results?
i dont know
i hope not

Today is 9/29/2012
exactly 3 months and 2 days...

29 Sep 2012

3 months post

today is 9/29/2012
exactly 3 months and 2 days after
my surgery in guadalajara with doctor fernando guerrerosantos
i wish i could say that i am totally healed and everything is wine and roses,but i am still healing and have
some not so pleasant experiences....
i still have the divot in the middle of my forehead
from those dermal fat grafts,and hollowness below my eyes where my cheekbones are still,oh so prominent
andwrinkles now appear when i laugh...
although,it seems to be residing a little.
and have swelling under the right side of my jaw,with what seems to be a torn ligament or something,like a muscle tear on that side that is apparent when i lift my face up....
i am hoping that too will go away.
i had written a letter to the doc stating that i was going to come back to guadalajara to see him so that he
could do the fat injection into the divot in my forehead....i am once again going to stay with emma....she is an angel and a true friend....
i will be happy to see everyone.
dr G. said he will charge me 300 for the procedure,simple he says,will fix everything.....
i hope so...
300 for the procedure
400 for a plane ticket
200 for transportation and accomodations
another 1000 dollars.....
planned for after the 6th....
Dr G. is on vacation...
i have moved and so have been very busy...
moved in with my boyfriend.....
he is a saint....
i have been a crazy mad woman
with a wonky but still healing face and he had still hung in there...
although i am sure that if he could have commited me,he probably would have on 7 different occasions.
yes i did say it.7 times......i wish i would have known beforehand what an emotional basket case
i would have been....i would have commited myself for the first 4 months at least the first 3 months after all of this craziness....
i was watching hutch last night,when he had that allergic reaction ,how he was freaking out and drinking all of that benadryl.....
and plastic surgery makes you feel that way for 4 months straight,and no amount of benadryl could calm a person down...
the only time i was myself was when i was either asleep,or half asleep,or just woke up....otherwise i was aware and a mess......
pity the poor person who had to be the significant other...untill sybill heals...
i moved,i cant find my camera chord,but i will look for it and take my 3 month pictures tomorrow...
im looking better....i will be overjoyed when i do not have the dent in the forehead anymore.....
please doctor guerrerosantos....do not let me down again
colleen..

Hello everyone
Today is November 4th
4 plus...

4 Nov 2012

5 months post

Hello everyone
Today is November 4th
4 plus months after surgery
Tonight is the first time i have been able to read
through each and every one of your posts.
I am curious to see how everyone is doing now?
I had the dent in my forehead filled by another plastic surgeon here in monterey 2 weeks ago.
It cost me 500.00 and took about 5 minutes.Although not completely gone,it is no longer visible.
I still have some roping and swelling under my chin and both sides of my neck.
My cheeks are still really swollen and underneath my eyes,look odd and lumpy...
i went to another surgeon here and was told that i would need to undergo a lower blepharoplasty
with orbicularis muscle suspension..but i wouls still need to wait a few more months for healing.6 months is the soonest for revisional surgery.and maybe by then i will not need it.i am feeling for the first time that maybe things will be allright....
i have been going back to the gym and am getting back to normal....i will post pics tomorrow...all of the before and afters and the update photos too.
for some reason,they had all but gotten deleted from on here,but i had them saved on disk...
I want to make sure that we all tell our stories,good and bad to help the next person make a conscience and well thought out
decision .This will help others get through this....

Went to another plastic surgeon today for a...

6 Dec 2012

6 months post

went to another plastic surgeon today for a consultation.
he is an occuplastic surgeon who specializes only in eyes.
he measured my eyelids and told me that dr guerrerosantos made the incision 14 milimeters high.
he butchered my ethnicity...
he ruined my natural beauty
it will take thousands of dollars to repair my eyelids if repairable at all....it will be very difficult..
it was not intentional,but i made it very clear that my eyes where the most important thing on my face and he ruined them...
i hope he does the right thing and sends me all of my surgical records so that i can get the ball rolling

Today is exactly 7 months after my facelift and...

27 Jan 2013

7 months post

Today is exactly 7 months after my facelift and upper and lower blepharoplasty by Doctor Fernando Guerrerosantos
in Guadalajara Mexico.
All of the swelling is gone and although i will need a little touch up under the eyes for some hollowing and uneven fat distribution
I must say that even though i was unhappy at first because my eye shape was changed a bit,altogether he did a wonderful job.
Cosmetic surgery is not something that gets all better within a few days,or even a few months.
My patient care co ordinator Beverly Mc Carter,told me it would take seven months to heal and she was right exactly.
i will go back to Doctor Fernando Guerrero Santos for any other cosmetic surgery i will ever need..
And i would recomend him to anyone
But perhaps some revisions may be needed
..Colleen Lawson Petro

doctor fernando guerrerosantos guadalajara mexico

18 Nov 2013

1 year post

Dr Fernando GuerreroSantos

2 May 2014

1 year post

No matter what i feel that Dr GuerreroSantos is a great surgeon and a great guy.
He has been there for me still to this day if i have a question about anything or if i need help with anything he responds and has been a great friend.
I wish i would have gone back to him for my revision.
I would not hesitate to go to him for any reason